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McDowell

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General Demographics

Total Population, 2023
44,8931
Population Change, July 2022 - July 2023
1381
Projected 2050 Population
44,6022
Under 18 Years Old
8,5921
Age 18-64 Years
26,4371
Age 65+ Years
9,8641
Median Age
44.33

Race / Ethnicity 4

White
86.3%3
Black/African American
3.9%3
Native American
0.4%3
Asian/Pacific Islander
1.1%3
Hispanic/Latino
6.8%3
Multi-Racial
1.6%3
Other Single Race
0.0%3
Sources

Financial Stability

Residents Below Federal Poverty Level, 2023
15.1%5
Median Household Income, 2023
$53,6975
Sources

Housing

Cost-Burdened Households (Spend 30% of Household Income on Housing)
18.0%6
Typical Home Value (July, 2024)
$257,0747
Median Gross Rent, 2 Bedroom Unit
$7316
Sources

Education

4-Year High School Graduation Rate
85.2%8
Postsecondary Enrollment
47.5%8
Postsecondary Attainment (25-44 Year Olds With a Postsecondary Degree/Credential)
41.4%8
Sources

Employment

2024 County Economic Distress Tier
19
Total Workforce Employed, 2023 Average
19,62310
Total Workforce Unemployed, 2023 Average
65310
Average Weekly Wage, 2023
$86511
Residents Working in Home County
69.2%12
Labor Force Participation Rate
53.2%12
Unemployment Rate (Annual Average), 2023
3.2%10
Annual Pre-Tax Living Wage - 2 Adults (1 working), 1 Child Household (Feb, 2024)
$64,10113
Average Employment Change, 2013-23
668 (4% Growth)11
Gross Domestic Product, 2023 (Thousands of Dollars)
$2,579,82514
Top Industry By Employment, 2023
Manufacturing (5,026 employees)11
Top Employer in County, 2023
Baxter Healthcare Corp (1000+ employees)11
Sources

Health

Residents Uninsured
11.7%15
County Health Outcomes Rank
4616
Food Insecurity Rate, 2022
16.8%17
Primary Care Physicians Per 10K Residents, 2023
5.218
Overdose Deaths Per 100 Thousand Residents, 2022
46.919
Life Expectancy (Years)
75.420
Sources

Broadband

Households Without Computing Device (Laptop, Smartphone, etc.)
10.2%21
Broadband Availability Index Score, 2021
62.122
Households without an Internet Subscription
16.6%21
Sources

Infrastructure

Designation of Water/Wastewater System as Distressed (Aug, 2024)
Yes (McDowell County)23

**Distressed is defined as a “public water system or wastewater system operated by a local government unit exhibiting signs of failure to identify or address those financial or operating needs necessary to enable that system to become or to remain a local government unit generating sufficient revenues to adequately fund management and operations, personnel, appropriate levels of maintenance, and reinvestment that facilitate the provision of reliable water or wastewater services” per Session Law 2020-79.**

Sources

Small Business: Statewide Data

Small businesses make up 99.6% (1.1 million small businesses) of all NC Businesses.24

44.2% (1.7 million small business employees) of all North Carolinians are small business employees.24

Business Ownership

Business Ownership - Women
46.0%24
Business Ownership - Veterans
7.1%24
Business Ownership - People of Color
22.8%24

Business Creation

2021
178,30025
2022
171,40025
2023
171,70025

Business Revenue

2019
$125,700,00026
2020
$141,400,00026
2021
$159,200,00026

Employment Data

Small Business Employment Change, March 2022 - March 2023
Net increase of 100,187 jobs24
Small Business Establishment Change, March 2022 - March 2023
Net increase of 7,773 businesses24

Agriculture

Farms
42,81727
Acres of Farmland
8,128,13627
Average Acreage of NC Farms
19027

Major Sectors

Major Business Sectors
Aerospace and Defense; Automotive, Truck & Heavy Machinery; Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals; Business and Financial Services; Corporate Headquarters; Energy; Food Processing and Manufacturing; Furniture; Information Technology; Plastics and Chemicals; Textiles; Tourism28
Sources